Photo courtesy Kalamazoo GazetteJohn Dunn, President of Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University is stepping up talks toward forming a medical school in Kalamazoo, though President John Dunn says there’s no rush to get it done.The university hopes to have a business plan for a new medical school crafted by year’s end.The more the university examines the idea, “the more powerful the benefits to our region appear,” Dunn said.“But this is an idea with a limited time frame in which to make a decision, so you can expect to see the pace of these discussions quicken in the coming weeks,” he said in his recent State of the University annual address.A consultant’s report early this year concluded that a medical school in Kalamazoo is a viable endeavor, and Dunn says talks toward that end continue “unabated.”Despite the desire to have a plan finalized this year, and plans by Central Michigan University and Oakland University to open their own medical schools, Dunn says Western Michigan University is not in a hurry.“We have recently watched other universities make commitments to similar projects, but we have not allowed those developments to push us prematurely into a decision about the wisest course for our university and our community,” he said. “We cannot let temporary economic cycles and short-term expediency dictate our ability to plan for a better future for ourselves and our community. We owe this idea a thorough analysis. We owe ourselves the opportunity to seize and act upon a vision that some have described as transformational for our region and the university.”The February consultant’s report concluded that developing a medical school at Western Michigan University is both doable and “could put the Kalamazoo area on an important growth trajectory.”The study laid the groundwork for further and detailed exploration of forming a medical school in Kalamazoo, a region with a rich legacy of bioscience research.“There is present within the region the resources necessary for establishing and maintaining an excellent medical school,” consultants from Larned & Weinberg wrote in the report. “Further, we believe that a medical school could be an important contributor to the future success of Kalamazoo and the region.”WMU would partner with Bronson Healthcare Group and Borgess Health on a medical school for up to 80 students per class, and funding could come from private contributions, tuition, income from clinical operations and research grants.WMU could develop curriculum with the help of Borgess and Bronson, which could also house selected departments and facilities “as appropriate,” the consultants said.As the university works on that project, Dunn also outlined in his address plans for elevating Western’s role in research.A new five-year strategic plan for WMU envisions doubling research funding from outside the university to $60 million.“Given the credentials and talent that characterize this university’s faculty, this is an ambitious but entirely doable goal,” Dunn said.To support expanded research, WMU plans to increase its faculty by up to 25 members annually over the next four to five years, he said.